Two Pico Projectors to make an Off-brand eXpo

The eXpo from LG cam out not too long ago and it made some headlines. It was the first high-end mobile device to feature an attached projector that connected directly to the phone. While that is cool, what if you already have a high-end mobile device, like the HTC Touch Pro 2, but still want that cool projector aspect? Well then you should check out some alternate Pico Projectors like the P1 Pico Projector from aaxa Technologies and the MPRO120 from 3M.

The P1 from aaxa is a compact little projector sporting a hard plastic shell with rubber flaps to protect the memory card flap and lens. The P1 has a lot of sweet features about it. One unique feature about it is that you do not need to hook it up to anything to showcase your pictures or videos. Users can simply plug in a memory card directly into the device allowing the P1 to decode your content directly.

The speakers on this thing are ok, though they could always be louder. If you find them to soft then you always have the option of plugging in a speaker system into the 3.5mm headphone jack. The projector is very bright in a completely dark room. You need to purchase a VGA cable kit in order to connect your P1 to a laptop. Pricing for the P1 comes in at $200, which may sound a bit steep but the upside is that the device is compatible with a ton of devices that you may already own. The projector attachment for the eXpo coasts $180 and only works with that phone. The drawback is that you will have some excess cords with the P1 as opposed to the eXpo but I think the trade off is worth it in the long run.

The MPRO120 from 3M is a bit longer than the P1with a nice soft-touch coating. The MPRO120 also has a built-in tripod mount and offers slightly better performance than the P1 as well. The MPRO120 is a second generation pico projector from 3M. This device works very well in a completely dark room and is still pretty visible when ambient light is applied. A built-in stereo speaker on the device sounds better than the P1's sound system but still isn't amazing. Unlike the P1 this device does come with Composite and VGA cables to connect to a laptop or other devices.

The MPRO120 is more geared toward business people. This is where the price comes in. The MPRO120 will run you $400 which means anybody who just wants a casual projector would be turned away from this device. While the performance is slightly better than the P1, the price may not be worth it unless you are intent on using it a lot.

Overall both projectors are great and offer around the same value and performance. For people like business students, mobile professionals or sales people these devices are perfect. They reduce the weight of having to haul around big expensive projectors and the hassle of setting one up. If you need a quick projector setup then one of these devices is perfect.

If a projector purchase really isn't the right fit for you then you should look into acquiring a projector rental from Rentourprojectors.com.

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Google Voice Comes to iPhone

Google has announced that it has revised its Voice software so smartphone users can access it through their web browser, instead of having to download and install it like most other apps. It allows customers to make long-distance calls over the internet (cheaper than they might be able to with their phone) and provides you with an alternate dialing pad, as well as the ability to listen to voicemail from your browser.

Even though iPhone users may be excited, chances are, Apple is not. In July of last year, Google accused Apple of trying to block Google Voice from being distributed through the App Store. Apple said it was not blocking the application, but that AT&T (iPhone's carrier) had a provision in its contract that forced it to reject all internet calling programs that do not originate within the cellular network. However, AT&T denied this. The spat prompted an FCC investigation.

Many think Apple is simply feeling the heat of competition from Google, as the two companies start to overlap markets. In early January, Google began selling its own smartone, the Nexus One.

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AT&T Working to Improve Its Network

Everywhere you turn, someone is complaining about their AT&T service, but it looks like the company is getting ready to invest a large amount of money - $2 billion - to improve its network this year. From dropped calls to slow wireless, AT&T receives complaints from all over the country, particularly from iPhone users, many of whom say they love their phone, just not the fact that they are forced to use AT&T. Even the company admits that service in cities such as New York and San Francisco isn't up to what it should be. With Apple's new iPad product going on sale in two months, the company is surely feeling the heat to do something about their problems.

Many industry analysts say that AT&T won't be able to handle the added strain the iPad will put on the network, as it's barely been able to handle the iPhone. In 2009, in the 4th quarter, alone, over 3.1 million new iPhones were activated. However, on the night before Apple unveiled the iPad, AT&T made the announcement about their improvements. Their goal is to convince investors and consumers that they are up to the task and will be able to handle the iPad.

The announcement was made by Chief Operations Officer John Stankey during a conference calls with reporters. He said the company was planning to upgrade cell sites and add 2,000 additional cell sites all over the country, "We’ve got an aggressive plan to benefit everyone."

The iPhone uses ten times the network that other smartphones use, which is one reason AT&T has had so man problems. The iPad will be a much bigger strain. Several models of the tablet computer are being offered; the cheapest one being the 16 GB, Wifi-friendly one priced at $499. The $629 version has a 3G connection. AT&T will be offering a two-tiered pricing system for the 3G model. For $14.99 a month, you can use 250 MB and for $29.99 a month, you can have unlimited access.

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Top Smartphones for Small Business

As a business owner, it's important to be connected if you want to be successful. You're not just working 9:00 to 5:00, your job is your life. With this in mind, smartphones are becoming more and more popular for SMB owners and their staff to stay in touch 24 hours a day. But how do you know which one to choose?

Well, Enterprise Mobile Today has figured out their own little formula to narrow down what they consider the "Critics' Choice Top 5 Smartphones." The list is generated by checking out websites with smartphone reviews and seeing which ones receive consistently good reviews and high ratings. According to the article, CNET, Consumer Reports, LAPTOP Magazine, PC Magazine, and PC World's ratings were all used to generate the list.

The list is at follows:

1. Apple iPhone 3GS

Carrier: AT&T

Why it's good for business: it's fast, powerful, has a large selection of apps, and works well as a computer.

2. Motorola Droid

Carrier: Verizon Wireless

Why it's good for business: it has a large, high-quality display, free GPS navigation, it's fast and has a long battery life.

3. Research in Motion Blackberry Bold 9700

Carrier: T-Mobile and AT&T

Why it's good for business: it's slimmer and more attractive than other Blackberry models, and has a great display, keyboard, and optical trackpad.

4. Google Nexus One

Carrier: T-Mobile

Why it's good for business: it's fast, sleek and slim, has lots of extra features, and enhanced voice capabilities.

5. Motorola CLIQ

Carrier: T-Mobile

Why it's good for business: its design and construction are high-quality, as well as excellent call quality, speakerphone, a great keyboard, cloud-based PIM data backup, and syncs with Microsoft Exchange.

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Luxury Phones that Use Gears Instead of Chips

Celsius X VI III hopes to establish their place in the luxury phone market with their new phones that incorporate Swiss watch craftsmanship into the phone instead of a chip.

On Thursday, January 21st, Celsius said that they had received funding from one of Europe’s biggest venture capital firms to start things up. Celsius was established a few years ago with the goal to take the 500 year old technology found in hand-made watches and utilize it to make a cell phone that would use moving parts instead of chips and electronics. Celsius has been able to sell their idea to Sofinnova Partners who invested 2.2 million euros, AGF Private Equity who invested 500,000 euros, and several other private investors who together gave 600,000 euros.

The co-chief executive of Celsius, Edouard Meylan, said, “Our target is the man who owns a few sports cars and is an aficionado of Swiss watches.” He wants their customers to be able to keep these luxury phones for decades instead of having to replace their phone every few years.

Meylan has been around fine craftsmanship his entire life. His father is George-Henry Meylan who is the longtime CEO of Audemars Piguet a famous Swiss watch making company.

The first phone that Celsius has designed is called the Papillon. The phone contains a mechanism that winds the watch found inside every time the device is opened or closed. The Papillon is also clam-shaped and costs around 200,000 euros. It will only be found in about a dozen watch or jewelry stores around the globe once it is released.

The luxury phone industry was started up by Nokia in 2002 when they launched their Vertu line of mobile phones that cost anywhere from 5,000 to 25,000 euros. Fashion icons like Georgio Armani, Prada, and Christian Dior have followed Nokia in this luxury phone industry by releasing their own phones.

Mainly, the most difficult aspect for Celsius will be building a credibility in the very minute luxury phone industry. They will be up against not only other luxury phone companies but also other Swiss watch makers, like Tag Heuer and Ulysses Nardin, who are developing a line of phones as well.

Interestingly enough, Meylan plans to only sell around 50 Papillon phones and 150 of a lower priced version of the Papillon in the first year. Honestly, I don’t know how they could expect to sell anymore with the ridiculously high price tag that it has. It will be interesting to see if this really does as well as Celsius expects. I personally could never imagine putting out enough money to buy a car for a cell phone, but we will just have to sit and watch what people really think of this new line of luxury phones.

Nexus One Gets Multitouch Hack

When the Nexus One first came out, Google called it their "super-phone" and for the most part it was a very good device. But it was missing one thing that completely shocked most people, multitouch. Being the flagship phone, you would expect it to be decked out with every conceivable thing you could think of and yet, no multitouch.

Google, along with it's partners, have been bouncing back and forth with the idea of multitouch and there is definitely logic behind which of their devices receives multitouch and in which markets. But to not give it to the Nexus One seemed a little absurd to most people.

When asked about seeing multitouch in a future Nexus One update, Android chief Andy Rubin simply said, "we'll consider it." That's it, just a consideration? Well for many people out there the words "we'll consider it" just aren't good enough and instead of walking around and complaining about it some people have taken matters into their own hands.

Senior member Cyanogen over at XDA has successfully hacked the Nexus One browser and added multitouch to its functionality. So now everybody can have multitouch on their Nexus One just like we had hoped for! Reports from users who have already attempted the hack have stated that the browser "is working pretty well and is not too laggy". This is making some headlines across the net and people seem to be excited to get their hands on the guide. One thing people should know though is that by attempting the hack, you will lose all of your settings and bookmarks which seems like a small price to pay for getting multitouch on your Nexus One. Check out XDA for Cyanogen's detailed guide on the hack.

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iPhone Cooking App

I know that I have talked about a lot of iPhone apps, but I really was excited to hear about this one and wanted to share it with everyone. I love cooking, so this app would be extremely fun and helpful to me and anyone that shares my love for cooking.

NBC’s “Today” morning show has just revealed the new Today Recipes. This iPhone app allows users to download recipes, come up with check lists of ingredients, and use the mobile grocery list while at the grocery store. This could definitely come in handy for me and for most people I know.

The app features a search option that allows the user to find particular types of recipes. Hourly, the app is updated with video features and articles from the Today show that cover a variety of food and wine news.

This app is free for any iPhone or iPod Touch that runs OS 2.2.1 or later. You can find the new cooking app ready to download at Apple’s App Store now.

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